It’s time for us to replace our Christmas decorations with something more appropriate for the occasion: Chinese New Year! Don’t get me wrong, my Christmas tree is still in all its glory in my living room and I don’t plan on taking it down anytime soon, partly because elegant Chinese New Year decorations are rather hard to find — till now. Let me put you onto the new IKEA FÖSSTA collection!
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “IKEA? The international Swedish home furniture brand? What do they know about Chinese New Year?” Well, be prepared to have your world rocked, as I guide you through IKEA’s latest collection! Inspired by the simplicity of the Song Dynasty, items in the FÖSSTA collection, while simply-designed, promise to beautify your houses to the next level for the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Dining
One of the most important parts of Chinese New Year celebrations is the abundance of eating! I think almost half of the celebrations revolve around the dinner table – so it would only be right for us to extend the styling to the table as well! The FÖSSTA collection includes three stylish decoration options to spruce up the many meals we’ll have this holiday season.
FÖSSTA place mat
Starting with the basics, we have the FÖSSTA place mat (S$3)! It features an oriental design with signature Song Dynasty porcelain vases as part of the visuals, known for their elegant forms and simple yet impactful design motifs.
Beauty aside, the place mats are also incredibly functional! With important traditions like Lo Hei and must-have meals like Steamboat, Chinese New Year meals can sometimes get messy, and cleaning up can be a massive headache. But with place mats, packing up is made easier and faster.
FÖSSTA plates
Chinese New Year is the celebration of the start of spring! The cold winter has since passed, and the once-barren trees are starting to grow flowers and leaves – showing signs of renewed life. Much like how spring marks the end of the blistering and harsh winter, the new year signals the start of a fresh slate.
In the spirit of spring, IKEA is gifting us the FÖSSTA plate! The plate was purposefully designed to be reminiscent of a flower petal in celebration of the arrival of spring, complete with vibrant colour options. Meals during Chinese New Year are especially important, so it’s common for us to bust out the good china and dishware. What better way to brighten up your meals than with this beautiful FÖSSTA plate (S$10)!
FÖSSTA serving container
For most of us, Chinese New Year visiting can be an arduous affair. This period might be the one glimpse your distant relatives have into your life, so everything must be perfect. Your house has to be void of dust, and you also have to exaggerate your generosity. So, everyone’s go-to hospitality trick is to bombard your guests with your wide array of Chinese New Year goodies.
If you want to up the ante, let me introduce you to the FÖSSTA serving container (S$29.90)! With four different compartments in one container, it’ll make your treats look ten times more delectable than they already are. Inspired by a traditional Chinese snack box, the container will have your aunts and uncles floored and bugging you about where you got your gorgeous snack container instead!
Living Room Accessories
Onto the next part of our house, the living room! Never underestimate the importance of fancying up this part of your house. During Chinese New Year, the living room puts in all the work, as it’s the one part of the house where all the guests gather. I guarantee the following three accessories will stylise your living room and add a splash of personality!
FÖSSTA cushion
2024 is the year of the mighty dragon – so it’s only fitting for our homes to pay homage to this year’s zodiac sign! Introducing the FÖSSTA cushion (S$29.90). The cushion, shaped like a dragon head, adds the perfect touch of fun to your living room!
In Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of good luck, power, and strength. Sprinkling these dragon cushions around the house may not automatically change your fortune, but it is a good look for the upcoming holiday season!
FÖSSTA cushion cover
If your house is already overflowing with cushions, but you still want to switch things up, let me put you onto the FÖSSTA cushion covers (S$13.90)!
Like the FÖSSTA place mat, the cushion covers feature signature Song Dynasty porcelains and fruits as part of its design, symbolising happiness and prosperity. Will it raise your fortunes? Maybe, maybe not. But your aesthetic game will see an improvement for sure!
FÖSSTA throw
This has to be one of my favourites! The FÖSSTA throw (S$15.90), is woven with the utmost meticulousness. With intricate threading and tassels, this throw will be the star of your living room – the one statement piece that everyone’s eyes will drift to!
The throw is a beautiful muted red and orange, which allows it to blend seamlessly into any home. Even though this throw was made to be used during Chinese New Year, this is definitely an item I would keep in my home well into the year.
Decorations
After you’ve spruced up the kitchen and the living room, you have to go the extra mile and add a few decorations around your house! If you don’t know where to start, IKEA’s got you covered!
FÖSSTA LED Collection
For those keen to make their Chinese New Year exceptionally bright, you should look no further than the FÖSSTA LED Collection to light up your home.
First up is the LED table decoration (S$30). The lamp is modelled after lanterns that you often see around this period. This amazing decoration is the ultimate mood setter – with its red tint; it creates a warm and inviting atmosphere in your house! It’s the perfect accessory to have this holiday season!
If you prefer to hang up your lights, there’s the LED pendant lamp (S$15) and LED lighting chain with 30 lights (S$25). The latter adds the vibes of fairy lights but comes with the absolutely cute visual of little dragon heads that light up! Meanwhile, the pendant lamp brings a traditional feel with its Chinese lantern design.
FÖSSTA decoration
When it comes to Chinese New Year decorations, everyone knows that it starts from the front door – don’t think just decorating your interior is enough; your door and gate also require adorning some festive greetings!
The FÖSSTA decoration comes in a set of 5 (S$7), and it’s just the right touch to put your house in the festive mood this holiday season! Share the messages of prosperity and wealth with your family, friends and neighbours this Chinese New Year with these beautiful decorations.
FÖSSTA door mat
If you’re looking for more ways to spruce up the outside of your house, look no further than the FÖSSTA door mat (S$6.90).
Just like the FÖSSTA throw, what I love most about this doormat is its colour. Even though it’s meant for the Chinese New Year season, the muted colours make it such that the mat can be used all year round.
Live plants
You thought that was all? IKEA is pulling out all the stops this Lunar New Year! Apart from the FÖSSTA collection, IKEA is also offering a range of beautiful live plants that are significant to the season. Starting 6 January 2024, all customers can enjoy exclusive offers on live plants. Isn’t that great?
You can expect to see the DRACAENA Lucky Bamboo Plant (S$11.90), which is believed to be a symbol of wealth and health. As well as the SALIX CAPREA Pussy Willow
Plant (S$8.90 per bunch) that is meant to symbolise growth and abundance for the upcoming year.
Festive Feasting
Finally, we finish things off with food! Starting from 4 January, IKEA Family members can also indulge in exclusive festive treats at the Swedish Food Market! Members can expect to
- Sweet sticky rice cakes (S$6.80)
- Cranberry pineapple balls (S$8.80)
- CNY prosperity sponge cakes (S$10.80)
Not to worry, there’s a lot more on the menu to look forward to. I suggest gathering your family and rushing down to get a chance to savour these delicious treats before stock runs out!
I hope you enjoyed our concise walk-through of IKEA’s Chinese New Year exclusive FÖSSTA collection! If your fingers are itching and you’re wondering where to find this fantastic collection, let me put you out of your misery!
The FÖSSTA collection is available both in stores and online. For all my online shoppers, you can head on over to their official website and go crazy adding items to your cart! On top of that, in the spirit of the Lunar New Year, members of the IKEA Family will be entitled to an additional 10% off the FÖSSTA collection in-store from now till 31 January 2024 – what a steal!
And that’s it, folks! That’s what you can expect from IKEA during this Lunar New Year! From furniture to decorations and even food, IKEA is promising us only the best this holiday season.
Visuals courtesy of IKEA Singapore.
